KnightDisciple

Nevermore stiffened for a moment, before his posture seemed to almost harden, and the lenses of his mask snapped down. "Just because I find you noticeably attractive in both physicality and movement doesn't mean you can patronize me. If you refuse to talk, then that silence is worth the price I paid. I'm loyal out of honor. Out of...care. Not fear. I've been loyal out of fear." Then he stood, his cape slowly draping itself over his body as he stepped back into a nearby and highly-convenient shadow, to watch over both prisoners. "I'll never go back to it again. So don't try to tell me I made a mistake."

"Well, any who know much of me know I hold little affection for the Fae. But other than handling cold iron that you yourself know to be cold iron, I don't know how to assure you I'm not one of the lying, scheming villains myself. After all, a fake will deny being a fake just as strongly as the real person." His words were fairly light-hearted, but Gabriel's whole body language was tense, ready for an ambush. As the group moved into the Hedge, they might occasionally feel an odd "hum" at the very background of their senses. As the lights dimmed from the outside world, the shining silver spear in the angelic hero's hand began to glow with soft light. "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend It." The shining hero seemed to be speaking to himself as much as anyone.

Gabriel The sonic-slinging hero sighed and rolled his eyes at the use of "soccer", but still seemed interested. "I'm sure I'd be terrible at it but I might like to give that a go. Maybe we could make it some sort of charity thing? We both know each of us can sell tickets, if we combine our powers we're sure to raise money for something worthy." He glanced around and lowered his voice to a bare whisper, leaning over a bit to try and deter lip-readers. "Better than when they try to auction us off for dates, anyway." He straightened up and tried to listen politely, nodding along. Then wincing when slapped, though it was clearly for show with all that armor. Still, he took a half-step back. "Right, what's a few million between friends and all that? Anyway do you want to try mingling, or just angle for some refreshments. I'm not sure when we'll start up the live music, if we do. I've got a couple bits prepared but we didn't want to keep to a hard schedule for this shindig."

"-of my social life, Boyle." Suddenly a black-and-green blur raced past the two men, turned at the end of the block, raced back toward them, and finally all but skidded to a halt in front of them. It resolved into a male figure dressed in a snug black jumpsuit with glowing green geometric lines and a faceless black helmet that said figure reached up and tapped. The helmet quickly folded down and away into a metallic collar piece, revealing a dark-haired young man in a black domino mask with a concerned expression on his face. If either of the detectives had much of any Supercrime!, they knew this was young Thoughtspeed! "You're detectives? Police? Great! Awesome! Crime to report! What's the charge for shooting big guns at folks without provocation? Like all sniper-style? Especially superheroes? Come on that's a crime right right right? We need to go there's thugs with guns and stuff come on!" He seemed a bit agitated.

Nevermore didn't curse when the cars punched in their N0S systems. That would be unprofessional, un-Raven-like, and probably get him in trouble with both Midnight and Raven, a state of being he preferred to avoid. That didn't mean his lips didn't purse behind the windscreen over his lower face (bugs in your mouth were just terrible for brooding heroes of the night), narrow his eyes a bit, and think some unkind words to himself when it happened, though. He activated his communications link to the other two heroes. "I am maintaining my tailing position, but it's going to push the Talon beyond its limits, and to a breaking point, very rapidly. I am directing another asset this way but it will take some time. I will do my best to maintain my rearward position in the meantime." As he was speaking, one hand was maintaining the full-open state of the throttle, while the other was flipping a handful of switches and dials on the small control panel of the bike. At one point he reached down, a bit awkwardly, and pulled on a couple of levers that were flush with the body. The bike's engine roared, but he could feel it starting to tremble a bit.

Thoughtspeed has a +15 Acrobatics, meaning even on a 1 his result is a 16. So...uh, he can't fail?

Hm. That has possibilities as well. I certainly wasn't trying to just "break her", but I did kind of want to make it where we can't casually have people ask "but why can't Raven II show up and help since this is a Really Big Important Crisis?". Her being at the point her health simply won't let her handily cuts that off at the knees. Also, some of the point is her being forced to acknowledge she's outmatched, Tiff; the Batman-types typically have to run into notable age or injury before that happens. That said, part of my goal with making it where she goes solo vs the villain group I outlined is that any one of them is chump change next to her. It takes all of them working in concert to actually take her down. So it certainly doesn't short-change her too much; Nevermore will be challenged taking on just Dr. Sin, never mind the rest of the bad guys. Still, the capture/rescue arc has possibility. I'd not be too picky about the participants of the first thread, but will honestly probably be working more actively on the second team's makeup.

All good things must, one day, come to an end. But sometimes, that ends comes sooner than one thinks. Such is the way of the Mantle of the Raven, one of Freedom City's most iconic heroes. The Batman of the Freedom City setting, one that passed from Father to Daughter, and now is soon to pass from Master to Apprentice. Currently, Raven II/Callie Summers is the one actively holding that legacy. Aleksander Nakani, aka Nevermore, is slated to take up the mantle sometime this summer (after his graduation from high school!). But just passing on the cape and cowl because he graduated, that feels a bit lame. So instead, I'm going to try to run a thread or three to pass the torch. I've hashed some initial ideas out, and I'm laying out the framework here. What I'm looking for is input on the NPCs, especially villains, to be involved, and then some PCs to have assist Nevermore. My general thought on the setup is that Raven has been tracking some faint trails of clues that lead her to, I dunno, a warehouse or something with an electronic message left there. It's a taunting message from Dr. Sin, her grandfather, all wrinkly and evil and stuff, taunting her that she never faced him directly because she knew she would lose, and now she's getting old too. She keeps mopping up the scraps from his table. Can she leave him be? So the Raven goes after him...and runs right into a group of cowl-type villains (the likes of Blackbird, Fear Master, Red Death, Warden, Silencer, and/or others) led by a much-younger-looking Dr. Sin. Via some magic or super-science or something, he has not only maintained his life and health, but reversed his aging to be in the prime of his life (physically he looks maybe 30), and even granted himself some minor metahuman powers (probably just a light Paragon package or some such). The combination is too much, even for Raven, even wearing her most cutting-edge powered armor suit. It turns out that Sin chose this moment to strike because he believed that before long, her advancing age would prompt her to create a suit powerful enough this plan wouldn't be guaranteed to work. But he had to wait until now to let age do some of the work. It was a delicate balance! So she's captured, imprisoned, etc., not sure yet what he's going to do with her (probably taunt her father for a while, then brainwash her and give her the same rejuvination treatment he used, make her his chief lieutenant). Before he can taunt anyone, an automated timer and message alert Nevermore to what's going on. Queue the Recruitment Montage! Nevermore takes an entire team to fight these guys, just enough that everyone gets a one-on-one matchup, and he gets to take on Dr. Sin one-on-one, and manages to beat him (dice willing!). Callie's been hurt and worn down enough by all of this that, while she can function in her civilian life well enough, it's too much of a risk to take up the Cowl again. So the story ends with Aleksander standing on a rooftop.... As the Raven. What I'm looking for: Bit of help refining the ideas here. Suggestions on which NPCs to have as additional villains. Suggestions on pre-made sheets to use for everyone, and adjustments as we think necessary. Help figuring out who a good PC team to assist would be! I'm really wanting and hoping to keep this as a primarily-Cowl endeavor. That's not to say that no one on the mission can have any powers, just that I'm wanting this to be more the skill-y characters than the likes of our biggest, flashiest, most powerful heroes steamrolling the bad guys. Motivation among the Cowls is probably to "keep it in house"! So this is a combination of "putting the idea out for refinement" and "recruitment drive". I'd be looking for 4, at most 5, other heroes. This won't all happen at once; I'm thinking maybe 1 "setup" thread, and 1 "action" thread. Time-wise, I'd like this to be built up a bit, so the 1st thread probably happens in a month or two (and is forward-set a bit), and the next one after that one's wrapped. Maybe starting it in...April-ish? May, if that's how it shakes out.

Gabriel will use his Spear's Light control to give us a 25ft radius of Light, centered on himself/the spear.

Thoughtspeed's faceless helmet swung around toward Fast-Forward. His mental voice all but snapped at his father. 'You're sending me along like an errand boy? You can't-' The young hero cut himself off, his helmet swinging around toward the man who had shot at them. For several moments, he just stood there, clutching his swords, which faintly shook with his intense emotions. But then, the blades dispersed, and the young hero turned and left in a blur. He sped through the streets, looking for a nearby police station.

That's fine! It's just that a lot of real-world wrestling leagues have gender-segregated matches; the WWE has only had women wrestle men a few times (Chyna was the biggest and most successful example). The closest they get these days is tag-team matches where the guys and gals have to switch out when the other team switches. So yeah, was mainly asking to establish things!

It looks like you guys have cast more than just big, strong types, and included more agile wrestlers. One key question: Do you have gender-segregated matches (meaning men only wrestle men, women only wrestle women), or do they mix?

Judex laughed as things settled down and everyone focused on having fun or relaxing instead of fighting. He scooted over as more folks entered the bar. When the new gal asked about a hotel, he chuckled before he spoke up. "I'm afraid that the hotels with low personal risk aren't cheap, miss. Maybe we can point you to ones where you only need to sleep with one eye open, instead of two?" He smirked at himself as he sipped at his milk, still keeping an eye on this motley collection of party-goers. As much as this counted as a party, anyways.

Cobalt Templar Corbin had developed a lot of discipline his emotions, and their displays, in his many years of life. That's why he didn't visibly blanch and widen his eyes when he heard Quo-Dis whisper this. Instead, he simply pulled her close for a hug, taking those moments to whisper in her ear. "We certainly don't go asking about. Perhaps it's best to continue this in a more private manner, my love?" He hooked their arms together and sought to guide them to the drinks table. As he did, he tried to open their telepathic bond and speak to her mind-to-mind. 'Generally speaking, the etiquette would be to not ask who is pregnant, or even mention it. Typically the individual or couple will reveal the pregnancy at a moment of their choosing. There are enough cultural and religious intricacies that it's better to let the mother be the one to spread the news. As far as the power of the child...well, this is not a typical human gathering, to say the least, is it?'

Gabriel The fact that Gabriel's outfit pretty much always caught the light such that it shone brightly likely didn't help the camera-burning potential of these two photogenic men being in one place. "Well mostly I mean real football, but that's fair enough. And are you sure no one is selling any teams, or just none that you're willing to buy? Maybe you should buy up one of the 'bad' teams and pour a few billion in making it awesome? I dunno, I watch sports, I don't teach them."

Gabriel "Merry Christmas, Asad! Glad you could make it!" In a moment that journalists outside likely would somehow regret not capturing on film despite not even observing, Gabriel walked over with a big, beaming smile and offered the physics-defying hero a handshake. It was one of the most photogenic handshakes in the last decade, without the two men even trying. "I think you're getting here just as we're getting wound up. Though at least with you here there's someone else who knows the value of good sports."

Gabriel does side work as Captain Exposition!

"This is the work of Faeries, Woodsman. Not the cute, whimsical creatures many modern cartoons portray. Some are small, but many are the size of a grown man. Inhumanly beautiful, inhumanly powerful, and inhumanly amoral." Gabriel had quietly walked from the forest, and was calmly addressing Woodsman even as he kept his eyes on the Hedge. "They view humans as...resources. Toys to amuse themselves with. Slaves to work and die for them. Targets for fanciful new ideas. Now, normally they live in a...hm. I guess it's a parallel dimension? It's...'closer'...than an entire Alternate Earth. It's more like...a shadow, or a mirror-image of our World. The last several times I've encountered any, they used...portals, I suppose. Single or multiple Faeries, or Fae if you prefer, would intrude and then slip back. This time..." He was just in front of the twisted Hedge, which he lightly poked with his shining, blessed spear of silver. "They appear to be trying to bring their home to us. Which would be bad on many levels."

Sun Walker gave a smalle smile back to Doctor Collins. "I had been operating a bit further south, on my own, for a while. Then the Communion came." His smile fades, and a dark look passes over his eyes, before he sighs. "I volunteered to join a team striking at one of their main strategic assets out at the edge of the Solar System, partly due to my availability, and partly due to my hardiness and power. We were successful, but it was a hard fight. I...went on a bit of a walkabout, and saw some things in the wider scope of the universe. But eventually, I felt called to return to the cradle of my birth, as it were, and returned to Earth. After some juggling of things in my private life, I ended up here in the Emerald Cities. I haven't been overly active as a Hero quite yet, mostly due to the...still-developing scene. As it were. But I'm hoping to make some connections today for, if nothing else, large emergency times."

A couple of days early, but. I will be traveling and out of town between Thursday, December 22 and Wednesday, December 28 (inclusive, barring work Thursday, but I can't get to the site except via phone at work anyway...). Don't expect much of anything then. Between the 29th and the 2nd I'll be where I can at least maybe post, but I'll still be running about to celebrations and parties here and there.

Gabriel tensed a bit at Grim's dogs, but the boy was honest, he could tell, so he forced himself to relax. "One could suppose we might have some success fighting fire with fire." He wasn't entirely sure if fully splitting up was a good idea, but he didn't feel comfortable simply commanding everyone else. Instead, he opted to try and help mitigate the separation. "If anyone needs help, call out; I should be able to hear you, and coordinate the rest of us to come to your aid. Now, let's all be watchful; the Fae like their tricks and their games..." His spear was in hand once more, and light shone forth from the blade as he stepped into the darkness beneath the trees, trying to keep himself roughly in the middle of where everyone seemed to be. Not that he trusted his own ability to effortlessly navigate these woods. Woodsman, probably Crow, perhaps Grim (with the aid of his...dogs?) could manage it without too much trouble; the rest of them, probably not as well. Better not to bother with stealth in his own case, anyway. If he drew the Fae to him so the others could flank the murderous lunatics, all the better.

Gabriel Notice: 34. EDIT: Also as a note, he has Echolocation and Uncanny Dodge (Auditory).

Even as Fast-Forward blurred past his son, his fists and feet flying to send the hired muscle groaning to the ground, Thoughtspeed was a blur of motion racing toward the man with the high-powered rifle. In a blur, the teenager raced past him, one of his short blades of kinetic energy slamming into the man's torso from the side. "Don't!" The blur races in the opposite direction, and a second hit connects. "Point!" Blur, sword connect. "Guns!" Blur, two strikes at once. "At my!" The blur begins racing around the man, the blades seemingly everywhere at once. "FAMILY!" The blade-nado continued for a couple full seconds (an eternity to speedsters) before resolving into the figure of Thoughtspeed, crouched next to the psychic shooter, swords in both hands, his face hidden by that black helmet of his.

Thoughtspeed's gonna hit him. Move Action: Get up in his grill Standard Action: Melee Attack: 33. Uh. I'll take the +5 Damage! His Blades are in their (default) Twin Blades configuration. So he's got Autofire; not sure how much 33 exceeds the target's defense!

Cobalt Templar Corbin chuckled at Mike's comment. "That's why regular hang-outs are important; it means we don't have a panic reaction just by seeing each other. Though as far as secret ID goes, if they really wanted to be here, I'm sure Trevor could get them in, and they'd have masks." All things considered, it was a safe bet. As Joe and Asil walked over, Corbin smiled again and offered to shake their hands. "This party keeps getting more exciting! Nice to see both of you. We were just discussing the lack of a couple of our friends, Joe, and I was opining they'd be able to get in if they wanted, so they must just want to stay in and do nothing tonight. Which, can't wholly blame them for."